Egocentricity/Self-absorbtion February 14, 2010 4:49 PM   Subscribe

I was coming in here to ask if this question wasn't a bit long. It has now been sliced up by the mods so it doesn't take up most of the first page of AskMe, and reads in paragraphs below the mod-added fold. However, it is still not a question.

As various answers have noted, this extremely long 'question' is not really a question at all. It also repeats several of the points raised by the poster in earlier questions. (Again, several people have noted this.) This poster has made precisely 10 contributions to MetaFilter, all questions about him/herself. No posts on any other part of MetaFilter, no answers to other people's questions, no comments on any posts anywhere on the website. Just 10 questions. One of them is about Egocentricity/Self-absorbtion. Is this just an ironic display of chronic self-unawareness (which no amount of patting by the concerned people of MetaFilter will help)? Or is this person taking the piss?

Needless to say, I feel a bit harsh asking this question about someone who is worried about their social competence. But perhaps that's part of the strategy.
posted by lapsangsouchong to Etiquette/Policy at 4:49 PM (14 comments total)

It seems like he's asking if something is wrong with him when his therapist says nothing is wrong with him.
posted by anniecat at 4:53 PM on February 14, 2010


I don't think he or she's taking the piss. Anxious people overthink their situations and chronically seek reassurance from others.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 4:56 PM on February 14, 2010


Sorry, posted too soon. Yeah, I don't find anything troublesome about it. Obviously Garden has some problems and there are different aspects to his/her problems. I don't think he's a troll.
posted by anniecat at 4:57 PM on February 14, 2010


Is this just an ironic display of chronic self-unawareness

Our basic policy is to assume people are sincere, especially in their misery, unless there is some strong inclination to think otherwise. People have, last I looked, politely suggested to Garden that they are asking the same question over and over and also saying that this is a sign of anxiety and also saying that they should get that looked at. Bothers you? Don't answer it. There's no way we can make a guideline that disallows these sorts of questions.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:05 PM on February 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


If he's "taking the piss" I'd say he's worked hard enough at it that he deserves "the piss". I'm not sure I have a handle on this figure of speech.
posted by Salvor Hardin at 5:18 PM on February 14, 2010 [4 favorites]


None of us is obligated to read or answer any question on AskMe. TL? DR. Flag it and move on. The mods will handle it appropriately. BTW, before answering any question, I look at the posting history of the asker. If all they bother to contribute to the site is questions or pleas for help, I won't respond.
posted by Daddy-O at 5:26 PM on February 14, 2010 [2 favorites]


Fair enough, jessamyn. There's certainly a good deal of obviously-sincere misery threaded through AskMe, and the obviously-sincere sympathy in people's responses to it is the clearest evidence I've ever seen that the internet doesn't just encourage people to vent. So I'll shut up.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 5:32 PM on February 14, 2010


On preview: jessamyn and others.
posted by lapsangsouchong at 5:32 PM on February 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


I believe that piss refers to urine, and that "taking the piss" means sneaking up on someone at the doctor's office and running away with his/her urine specimen.
posted by found missing at 5:35 PM on February 14, 2010 [4 favorites]

running away with his/her urine specimen
Throw out your hands
Stick out your tush
Hands on your hips
Give 'em a push
Don't be surprised
You're doing the French piss-take.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:39 PM on February 14, 2010


The Brits have this thing about urine samples.
posted by Mid at 6:16 PM on February 14, 2010


this could be closed now... jess has answered it well...
posted by HuronBob at 6:21 PM on February 14, 2010


Yeah, I'm gonna ahead and close this up.















Little help, please?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:37 PM on February 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


assist!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:50 PM on February 14, 2010 [5 favorites]


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